A Pleasant Haze
by Sweet Valentine
Summary: Though he had faced the likes of Zant, of Ganondorf, there was something so incredibly terrible in her rage that actually frightened him whilst at the same time amazing him. [Link x Zelda, oneshot]


**AN: My first ZeLink. I hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own much. And that includes the copyright to the Legend of Zelda. Darn.**

**Enjoy!**

_**A Pleasant Haze**_

It was in the middle of the torrential onslaught that the thought finally occurred to him –_ he had never seen her angry before_. Well, not like this, at any rate; this anger, this ferociousness was so foreign to him. Not even with Ganondorf, not even then had he seen this facet of her nature; then, she had been determined, fierce, yes, but it wasn't anger so much as sheer determination and hope that had driven her in battle. He mused that she simply wasn't one to succumb to her temper. She did, after all, radiate a sense of serene tranquility; she was stable, sure, and calm. Though, in her present state, she was none of those things. She was frantic and emotional and positively raging, and he couldn't help but notice that when she was angry her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, and her eyes were bright, alit with swirls of gray and blue, and she looked positively _fascinating _like this, cherry lips quivering and slender frame trembling, and he could not help but stare at her because she was simply _enthralling_, her cheeks and her eyes and her lips and her frame and –

"Link, are you even paying attention to me?"

_No._ "Yes," he lied easily, not hesitating for a moment, and she picked up seamlessly from where she had left off. Discreetly, he exhaled – crisis averted. She was pacing now, and he couldn't help but admire the way her chestnut-hair swayed with each turn, for it looked very soft to the touch. He shook his head – where was this coming from, this sudden, keen awareness?

"And then, the chief councilor _naturally_ had to voice his opinion, of course, and unsurprisingly he was in accord with the others, and I tried my best to explain…"

Ah, yes, the rage, that fascinating and compelling and so attention-grabbing rage. The rage that he had never experienced before, that he was extremely grateful he was not taking the brunt of, that it was not directed at him, because though he had faced the likes of Zant, of Ganondorf, there was something so incredibly terrible in her rage that actually frightened him whilst at the same time amazing him. That enthralling rage that colored her features and made her look so alive, so un-regal and _normal_ –

"Well, what should I do, Link?"

He would have thought that the obviously blank stare he had given her would have clued her in to his complete obliviousness to all that was being said, but she seemed so preoccupied now, brow furrowed and pacing finally stalled, to take heed of his blatant ignorance. He struggled to think of something to say – she needed consoling, that was clear enough, but he had been so busy watching her that he had failed to actually _listen. _And he couldn't help but wince inwardly at the fact that she had asked him to come with her, accompany her on her midday excursion because, she had informed him, she desperately needed a friend to confide in. It had occurred to him, when he had debated asking her why she couldn't simply rant to her lady-servants, that she must have had very few friends, and then he mused further that ruling a country on one's own left one very little time to actually make friends, and even less to vent to them all their life's troubles, and he felt slightly guilty that she had asked him to come here as a favor and he had done a poor job fulfilling his role as "friend."

After all, something in the pit of his stomach told him that Zelda would not appreciate it if he told her he was too distracted by the way her hair whipped about in the breeze around her elegant face to actually listen to what was troubling her so. Yes, that was a very un-friend-like thing to do.

"Link?" She was staring at him now, slightly concerned, and now noticing his apparent lack of interest.

"Yes, Princess?" He looked at her, innocently. She quirked an eyebrow.

"You aren't pay attention to me, are you?"

"I'm…contemplating." It was true, in a roundabout way. He _was_ wondering what it was that was making him feel this way, making him feel light-headed and dizzy and as if there were a thousand little knots clenching in his stomach. He sighed heavily, shifting his weight so that he lay against the bark of the great oak he was resting against more comfortably. She crossed over to him to follow his example, sitting in the grass and slumping against the tree. His mind was still functioning well enough to realize that Zelda never normally "slumped;" she was graceful in all her endeavors, and apparently this horrible problem of hers was taking a great toll.

He winced again. More guilt.

They remained silent for a moment, with only the sound of the wind breezing by filling their ears, though Link was growing more and more distracted by the way Zelda had casually leaned against his body, their shoulders touching and his body growing warmer from the contact. She gave a heavy sigh.

"What should I do, Link?" Her voice sounded leaded and glum, and by chance they both turned their heads simultaneously to face one another. This time, though, when he met her eyes they were no longer bright with ire and animation, but rather they were a dull, inky hue that seemed so damn _weary_.

He certainly preferred "fuming" Zelda to "sad" Zelda.

There she was, talking again, and he was beginning to feel that she didn't so much rely on him actually responding to her as much as she simply needed to process her thoughts externally, give voice and tone to them because then the solution could possible come to her more quickly.

"…And they have given me an ultimatum, I have to make a decision come next fortnight– "

"Do you?" It was a neutral contribution, he reflected, but it was a contribution nonetheless.

"Well, yes, Link," she sounded perturbed, "they are my council, I have to take their advice."

"But, do you really?" She stared at him, a mixture of exasperation and curiosity etched in her face. He tried to clarify, "You're the only monarch Hyrule has. No one truly has the power to overrule you." Yes, that sounded good and sensible. His mind was still slightly blurred by the close proximity they were maintaining, but at least he sounded reasonable.

"It's not that simple, Link. Most instances, I agree with you, but…" she trailed off, biting her lip (an action he secretly found most endearing). "But, you see… they're correct. This is a decision I must make, being in need of an heir and such. If I do not marry, who shall succeed the throne?"

Ah. Yes, now Link understood. He must have subconsciously tuned out that portion of the conversation. The revelation did little to relieve the knotting ache in his stomach. Tiredly, Zelda allowed her head to rest on his shoulder.

That did very little to relieve his stomach too.

"Oh Link," her voice was strained, whispered, and sad. "I just don't know what to do."

He tried desperately to ignore the sudden pounding in his heart, or the slight tremble that ran down his spine at the caress of her breath warm against his neck. He managed to un-cloud his mind briefly enough to offer her the truth, coming more from his heart than his head. "Do what makes you happy."

Because in the end, while he preferred "fuming" Zelda to "sad" Zelda, he really only liked "happy" Zelda the most.

Her head came up off of his shoulder, and he saw that her face was adorned with a terribly sad smile. "I wish I could," she whispered softly. "But I am in no position to just do what I want." She sighed again.

In what he deemed was his best effort to console her, he shifted enough to allow himself to gently cup her elbow, squeezing it comfortingly, feeling giddy himself as his fingers embossed lightly upon her skin. The action seemed hollow to him, though, as he had no words to solve her troubles.

"Do you ever feel this way?" Her voice was quiet.

"What way?" He asked, wary that she could actually hear the dull aching of his heart.

"That you want something so fiercely but it's as if there is nothing you can do about it?"

He thought for a moment. "Most of the time," he considered, truthfully, "if something stands in my way, I normally stick it with my sword."

At that, Zelda laughed, a dulcet, ringing peal that made his heart soar and his stomach jolt; such a pretty sound.

And then she was so very near again, her face buried into his should, arm coming to drape around him to secure his embrace to hers. She mumbled against his tunic.

"May I ask you a question, Link?"

He swallowed, his skin flushing at the contact. "Yes."

"What, at this very moment, do you want more than anything?"

"I want to kiss you."

The words tumbled heavily out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and her head bolted off of his shoulder, wide-eyed and dazed. _Damn it_, he thought bitterly to himself. He stared at her a few moments, abashedly, fearing deep in the pit of the stomach that he had completely ruined everything now.

But then she laughed again, oh such a mellifluous and honeyed sound, and in an instant she was near him, eyelashes feathery against his own, and chuckling, asked, "Well, what in Hyrule are you waiting for?"

He wasn't quite sure, and deciding it would be foolish to sit there, motionless and unattractive with his mouth dangling open, he decided give in.

Kissing her, he found, did very little to alleviate the pounding in his heart, or the flutter of his stomach. It also did not help soothe the dizziness of his mind. He didn't care, though.

It was a rather pleasant haze.

When they parted, Zelda curled up into his embrace, and they remained comfortably in a quaint silence. After a few moments, Link felt it necessary to speak.

"I'm sorry I could not help you with your problem." She laughed again, against his chest.

"Oh, but you did, Link."

He raised an eyebrow. "Er…how?"

"You've given me the solution," she stated, simply. He remained puzzled.

"Well, actually, I believe I may have complicated the situation. After all, I'm not exactly an eligible suitor to the Princess of Hyrule." A faint trace of bitterness crept into his voice.

She moved and her lips met his again. "That isn't a problem, Link. We'll just take a page out of your book. Do what you do when something stands in your way." He stared blankly at her, and she giggled in a most mischievous, yet nonetheless appealing manner.

"I suppose I'm simply going to have to let you loose on my council, Link."

**AN: When I started this, it was supposed to be short. As in, a few hundred words short. I don't know how it got so long. –shrugs- Oh well. I hope you all enjoy! Review, please, and concrit is greatly appreciated and welcome! **

**Oh, and yes, I'm aware that some sentences are kind of run-on…ish. That was done purposefully, to reflect the tumultuous effect Zelda has on Link. Yeah…**


End file.
